Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-05-05
MIRABEAU'S TEST.
A Mysterious Robber and His
Grim Jest.

Not far from Limoges, capital of the
French Province Limousin, stood the
castle OF Count de Saillant, widely
known throughout the last third of the
Eighteenth century as a gay place of
assembly for convivial, congenial spir-
its Old-time French hospitality offering
a hearty welcome to all who could boast
can untarnished ancestral name.
Count de Saillant had married the
sister of the Count Honore Gabriel Vic
tor Mirabeau, afterward the World-re-
nowned hero of the French Revolution,
and at this time known all over France
for his wild adventures and mad pranks.
His brother-in-law and sister were at
present expecting visit from him at
the gay castle, and here he finally ar
rived one dayin autumn of the year 1880.
At this period Mirabeau was in the
thirty-frst year of his age; a muscular,
beautifully-fo man below his mas
sive, disproportioned head, disfgured
by the large mouth, immense nose and
a countenance distressingly married by
smallpox, but from which glowed Il
pair of fiery, expressive eyes. In every
direction were the bold, reckless adven-
lures of the young Count known
wild tricks that had more than once
cast him into prison, and it is not sur
prising that it was with considerable
country people of Limousin awaited the
advent of this intrepid character in their
midst.
But never did preconceived impress
siOns appear more unfounded; Mirabeau
abode quietly at the castle of his broth
er-in-law, just us did the other pleasure
seekers; guilty of no eXtravagances or
follies, till Count de Saillant and his
wife were forced to express their admir-
alton of his exemplary conduct, and
almost believed that the ''mad-cap''
had at last grown wise.
Quietly and uneventfully the weeks
flew by until winter approached, and
throughout this time Mirabeau was the
center of attraction in the gay circle
that assembled each evening ut Castle
Saillant. He argued with the priests
until the poor, unsophisticated cleric
ais were completely silenced by
his .unanswerable philosophical ques-
tons. To the casy-going noblemen he
solemnly foretold the speedy approach
of wholly new era, when the despised
third class, and the yet more despised
rabble, would rise with irresistible
power and crush with iron heel the
naughty aristocrats, until, excited by
his grim prophecies, his eXasperated
listeners would swear long and loud
by their dauntless courage that never
could the nobility or monarchy of
France have aught to fear from the
dastardly populace.
But such boasts were received only
with laughter by Mirabeau; and. with
cool candOr, he asserted that there were
no longer heroes to be found among
the effeminate, enervated aristocracy.
which would fall as mown grass before
the overwhelming numbers of the
caaaille.
1t was evident, however. that mere
words could not intimidate the chival-
ric lords of Limousin; fearlessly they de-
fed all such forebodings, and truly,
in their quiet, peaceful province, there
was still little to suggest fear, though
in other sections of France was already
the ripe seed of revolution falling on
fruitful soil.
Not only did Mirabeau fail in find
ing one to credit his predictions. but
many of his hearers considered their
bravery and honor insulted by such I'M
1iattering prognostications, and with
drew from his society offended. This
did not appear to trouble HIM seriously,
for not unfrequently he was exceeding
~ bored by the narrow-minded people
about him; ara now. after willing
away his morning hours agreeably in
the fine library of the castle, he found
pleasant recreation for the afternoons
in long rambles through the surround
fng forest; his gun invariably accom-
panied him on these solitary excur-
sions, but such was his habitual alb
straction and absorption of mind that
che feathered denizens of the wood soon
found that they had little to fear from
The intruder.
1t was on one of the early days of